E36 Differential Mounts and Upgrades

Rubber mounts are used to locate the differential to the subframe in RWD BMWs. This is one area that we like to focus on to improve power transfer, response time, and the overall feel of the drivetrain. By using a stiffer bushing you reduce or eliminate the 'wind up' and deflection of the stock rubber differential mounts when power is applied. A solid bushing will not twist when power (torque) is applied. Instead that power is directed to the drive wheels where it will do the most good. Our diff mount upgrades are solid rubber, Delrin, or aluminum kits depending on the application and the intended use. Even though these were developed for our race cars, we put them in a lot of street cars as well. The diff is not directly linked to the wheel and suspension so these are not as affected by bumps and road imperfections. Some additional drivetrain vibration may be felt through the chassis but in our experience it's very minimal. When installing one of our performance differentials make sure you also replace the mounts! And any subframe overhaul should also include solid diff mounts. There's no downside!

This rear differential mount is made from near-solid Delrin plastic and is a direct replacement upgrade from the stock rubber piece. The Delrin material has almost no flex to it, which results in better response, more feedback, and more power transferred to the wheels. Because the diff on these cars acts as a 'stressed' part of the rear suspension, we only advise using this solid mount with our Turner Solid Aluminum Subframe Mounts. This part is legal in many racing classes.

A set of replacement rubber mounts for the differential on BMW E36 cars, 1992-1999. Includes the front rubber mount (#33171134871) and the two rear mounts (#33171134872) in the cover (press fit to your existing cover). A new front bolt (#33176760337) is strongly recommended.

The main mounting bolt for the differential in the E36 is susceptible to shearing off during extreme driving conditions. This can cause internal damage to your diff, leaving you stranded at the track or on the side of the road. Active Autowerke's differential support bracket eliminates this issue forever in under an hour installation.

Urethane mounts keep the differential from twisting under load. As torque is put through the driveline it causes anything to twist and move. The differential is mounted to the subframe and the twisting and deflection can be transferred to the rest of the chassis. With a stiffer mount the differential will not deflect as much. This improves seat-of-the-pants feeling to the driver, giving more feedback for smoother power delivery. In theory, there's also more torque being sent to the drive wheels since it's not being used up shifting the diff weight around.

These are tough 88A durometer urethane bushings with a anodized almunum center sleeve, engineered by ECS. This is a set of E36 diff bushings - 1 for the front and 2 for the rear cover. New high-grade hardware is included (the front bolt has a tendency to snap from all that torque twisting!).

A BMWs subframe is the heart of the rear suspension. The differential is part of the subframe, as it is a stress member system. When the subframe moves, so do all of the rear suspension mounting points. Replacing the stock rubber subframe bushings with solid aluminum will limit drivetrain and suspension movement and keep your cars suspension geometry the way its supposed to be. The Delrin diff mount bushing is a near-solid mount that will last longer than the original rubber and does not 'wind up' under load/unload. This transfers more power through the axles to the wheels. The Turner Motorsport E36 318ti and Z3 solid subframe and differential mount bushing kit is a direct replacement for the stock BMW subframe mounts and differential bushing. We have incorporated ideas from our other race style solid bushings not only make these very light weight but also to be fully serviceable and removable in the case of subframe or diff cover replacement. This kit is a legal upgrade in many racing classes.

Note: solid subframe mounts are only sold with the solid diff mount. Using a rubber diff mount with the solid subframe mount will result in excessive deflection and twist in the diff mount. With the known issue of weak floor and diff mounts on the Z3 we only recommend using solid mounts together.

Changing out the stock rubber differential bushings for Delrin and aluminum will result in more feedback and better suspension performance. This kit will also help prevent the front diff bolt from loosening or shearing - a very common problem on E36 cars.

The Turner Motorsport solid diff bushings have spent years being tested in various racing series and have even been used extensively on street cars. These bushings are CNC machined from high-grade billet aluminum and Delrin and are a direct replacement for the stock rubber pieces. The rear two differential cover bushings are slotted to allow for BMW manufacturing tolerances. The kit includes 3 pieces: a Delrin front mount and 2 aluminum rear mounts. A new front diff bolt is recommended - add it from the drop-down box below.